So, what can I say, life is still giving me a hard time. I just can't seem to find my groove and, unfortunately, neither can anyone else because everyone is too busy dealing with me. I feel bad about it but there really doesn't seem to be anything I can do about it other than ride it out. Hopefully I an find some peace soon.

However, we still managed to have a pretty great week. Monday was a holiday for dad so we took him to Bravo Farms. For the first time ever mom, Safi, and I went into the huge multi level tree house they have there. I was a little nervous about all of the stairs but mom helped me navigate it. We went all the way to the top and got to bang on pots and pans to let everyone know we were there. Safi loved it..I thought it was cool, but kinda scary. We got to pet the goats and mom packed us a special snack. It was a good day.

Tues I was sick, so no school for me. I was kind of ok with that. Safi went to school and had a great day, as well as a great rest of the week. She's still going to the kindergarten on Wednesdays to play with her new friends. She really loves it and she does a great job of jumping right into their activities. Mom had to go and register Safi for her full time kindergarten next year. We stayed home with Heather and I was so out of sorts that I even played with Heather's hair. I've never played with any one's hair other than mom, so it was a sure sign that I'm starting to really trust Heather. I've always loved her and had fun with her, but never quite trusted her. So, it was kind of a break through.

Friday was great weather so mom took us to Riverway Sports Park. We haven't been there in ages. Mom was amazed at all of the things Safi was able to do that she was never able to do before. She climbed a huge cargo net, did the monkey bars, went to the top of the play structure and went down the enclosed slides. I followed as best I could, but I really loved jumping on these bride things. It was a really great day. Later, we got to play in the wading pool. It was so fun! We love wearing swimsuits and we had a blast going down the slide. It was a really great day...and we deserved a really great day.

Ok, so the BEST day of the week was Saturday. We got to go to our friend Sebastian's birthday party! He's 9...that's really old and means he can do really cool stuff. It was really fun, we had pizza and cupcakes...and dad went, too! Great time with great friends1 Also, for the first time we asked not to wear our weighted vests. This worked out ok, we got a little dysregulated at the end but it was still a great time. Later, mom and dad were feeling gutsy and took us to a sushi restaurant! It was AWESOME! I love sushi, and mom gave me my own California roll. We had tempura, teriyaki chicken, and they even made us chicken "nuggets" and french fries! Safi was feeling gutsy, too. She asked to use the bathroom! Now, Safi hasn't been using the potty for the past month or more. not even once a day. So, mom quickly ushered here in there. The music was blaring and Safi covered her ears, saying it hurt and she didn't want to go. Mom ran out and asked them to turn the music off. They did, and Safi went potty in a PUBLIC RESTROOM!!!! Crazy!!! It was so great! We enjoyed our meal, the staff was super understanding and nice, and I they even brought us a little ice cream before we left. It was just the greatest day EVER.

An update on the guinea pigs...Joan and Jett are feeling MUCH better. As a result, they're squirmy, nibbly, super FAST chicks with a ton of energy! We're having a blast feeding them treats on our laps, petting them gently, and watching them tear around the room at warp speed during their free range play time. So awesome!

So, hoping I level off and we cna squeeze in a blissfully uneventful week. Check back and see if we were able to make it happen!

Peace
Nixi

Fun at the park~!

It was a rough week for me...really, really rough. Monday I had just the worst day I've ever had in my life. There was nothing mom, Safi, or dad could do that was right. NOTHING was right, everything felt ookie...on my insides and out. A lot of screaming, a lot of tears, and a lot of just plain desperation from mom and Safi. I'm not sure why I feel so bad...I just know that I do and I don't know what will make me feel better.

Tues was a pretty decent day. I got to bring Valentine's to school for my friends and mom got me special brownies with chocolate hearts to take for everyone at snack time. Even Safi and another big sister got to come into my class and eat snack with us. Afterwards when we were at home Safi out of the blue told me, "You did a good job at school, Nixer, you did a great job", and she hugged me and gave me a kiss. It made me feel really special.

Safi got to help mom put together her Valentine's for school. She picked which one would go to which kid and even her teachers! When we went to pick her up, her teachers had put together a special Valentine's bag for ME! It was just like the ones the kids in Safi's class got. It was really nice. We had a great Valentine's day.

Thursday was another really rough day for me. A close second to Monday in intensity and duration. I had a complete meltdown when we went to pick Safi up from school. Mom had to carry me to the car like a surf board. forcibly put me in my car seat...Safi covered her ears, saying they hurt because I was screaming so loud. When we got home mom had to forcibly take me out of the car and I screamed for a good 45 minutes or so after that. Finally mom was able to get me quiet and calm enough to have me sit on the couch under some weighted blankets, twiddling her hair. Safi was just heartbroken. She was so confused by how upset I was and she wanted comfort from mom but every time she went on mom's other side I would scream and try to hit or kick her. Then, I'd have to go into the bedroom for hitting/kicking, upsetting us both all over again. Poor us. A rough pattern to break when really upset. We managed to end the day ok and woke up Friday morning excited for a visit from Nana Cummings.

To get geared up for her visit, mom put her on our master calendar at the beginning of the week and did some social stories about the visit and the fun things we could do with Nana. By the time she arrived with her friend Dan we were pumped! We were go to go pretty much from the moment they got here. Dan had to go shoot in a competition...which he ended up doing really well at, so we only got to see him for a few. But we played a fun game of freeze/Simon Says with Nana, we took her to the arcade, we read books, and showed her our guinea pigs. On Sunday morning we all went to Target in our jammies and Nana bought us Dinosaur Train toys. We got to take her to the sand park and ended with a McDonald's picnic on the front lawn! It was really fun. This was the best, most relaxed, most fun visit we've ever had and it was just great. Safi had a minor meltdown once and I had a pretty major one, but we both recovered so we could continue the good times. We missed her when she had to go home. Dan even brought us Angry Bird hooded blankets. So cool! It was just a really great weekend!

So, a rough week for all...but an amazing end! Oh, and our guinea pigs had a brush with death earlier in the week. Both came to us from the pet store with upper respiratory infections...Jett's being borderline pneumonia. Mom got 'em into the vets ASAP, and with syringe feeding, a warm room, and antibiotics twice a day it looks like they're going to be just fine! Phew! We think they're pretty darn cool...wouldn't want to lose them! So, that was our week.........hoping I feel a little better this week and hoping everyone can take it if I'm not!

Peace
Nixi

A little Valentine's night funky......


Us doing a song Heather taught us............

Ok, the ultra, super duper, uber duber high of the week....we got guinea pigs!!!! The dark brown and white one is named Joan and the calico one is named Jett and they are COOL!! We got them on Saturday...well, at least we got Jett and Joan No.1 on Saturuday. Unfortunately, Joan No.1 did work out. We were just a little too much spice for the poor girl. So, we went back on Sunday...after mom drew the whole thing in a social story for us...and got to pick out Joan v2.0! A much better fit. Although, mom and dad asked me which guinea pig I wanted...thinking I'd pick
Joan v2.0. I didnt, I picked a grey one with long hair that will grown 6+ inches long. Mom and dad tried hard to sway me...finally getting me to give in when they said the grey one was scared but Joan v2.0 was brave. However, when we got home mom asked me if I wanted to name her something other than Joan...to which I said, "yeah....grey." However, after getting to hang with the new Joan I'm glad I didn't go with grey...I really love Joan. Jett is superb. She's just the teeniest, coolest guinea pig EVER! She's nto afraid of us at all. She's the crowd favorite...but I'm sure Joan will give her a run for her money!

Pretty much just as cool...we got to hang out with our friends Sebastian, Gideon, and Penelope at the purple slide park on Friday. It was really fun. We really had a great time, as always. We're lucky to have such good, good friends.

The week's events....Nixi had school Monday and Tuesday. They had a couple of new kids in class and that threw Nix on Monday. On Tuesday, Nix decided to really show up for class...100% herself, mood up and down from one minute to the next. They told mom she was really "funky" and mom said, "Nope, that's the realy Nixi." The up shot, Nix didn't struggle after class. She didn't scream or need time alone with the weighted blankets. She was just Nixi. Hopefully she decides to just be herself from now on, "funky" or not. In general, she seems to be really struggling this last week and a half. I know it seems like I'm always saying that, but she's super struggling to feel ok lately. I'm trying to help her through it as much as I can. Its rough.

I had a great week at school. We're making lots of Valentine's decorations and hanging out with our new kindergarten friends. I love it. Its absolutely wonderful!

So...pretty decent week. Had some great weather, even got to run through the sprinklers. We head into Valentine's day on a high note! So, wishing you all a very happy Valentie's day and wonderful week.

xoxo
Safi

Nixi was a little afraid to run through the sprinklers, so I tried to help her through it.......

An interesting week...lots of fun, lots of up's and down's for me.

I've been in a weird place, lots of up's and down's, emotionally. Its rough on everyone, but we're still managing to have a pretty darn good time. Safi has been very understanding and has been learning to not talk to me or look at me when I'm upset. I'm always kind of up and down, but for the past 4 days its been extreme. One minute I'm laughing and happy, then next I'm sad or "crabby" and I tell everyone to not talk to me or to leave me alone. I'm having an especially hard time making simple decisions like what I want to watch on TV or what I want to eat for snack. See, inside I just don't feel right and my thoughts and feelings are all over the place. So, feeling generally not ok manifests itself in indecision and upset when nothing seems to make me feel right. Its hard for everyone around me because, at the end of the day, they really can't do anything right because I don't even know what I want or need. Like I said, though, everyone is taking it in stride and trying not to get too frustrated with me. As mom always says, the show must..and WILL go on!

In that spirit, we did some really fun stuff this week. I had school on Monday and Tues and it was really fun. Struggled a lot when I got home, but usually once I've gotten a nap and had a chance to "reset", I'm pretty good to go. The weather is slowly getting nicer and we've had a few days of playing outside in the sun! Sure beats the clouds...although, outside is great no matter what the weather.

Safi had a great week at school. She's getting better and better at really good spontaneous and unscripted speech. She even mocked mom when we picked her up one day. Mom asked her who she played with and she said Beyonce, and that they played "dolls"...or at least that's what mom thought she said. When mom repeated "dolls", Safi corrected her because she had said "draws". Then she shook her head, laughed, and said in a mocking tone "dolls?"..."draws!", shaking her head and laughing at mom. Mom says it was one of the coolest moments she's had since being a mom. To mock, one needs to "get it" on so many deeper social levels. Also, she mocked mom in good fun...and mom got the best laugh she's had in awhile.

We had a really great time on Saturday, taking dad to the sand park and going on the roller slide with him. Check out the second video! Not sure who had more fun?! It was really cool. Sunday we got to eat tons of junk food and watch the super bowl! We also got to talk to Grandpa Seifert and wish him a super wonderful, totally fabulous, love and laughter filled birthday! All in all, a great weekend!

Here's to hoping I balance out a little more this week...and here's to no heartburn from super bowl goodies! Have a great week!

Peace
Nixi

Sandpark after school...my first time going down the roller slide, with Safi's help!


Sandpark with mom and dad...